Truth will set you free

Accountability Washington Style

I haven’t been posting regularly here for over a week. Part of this is just personal things that have been taking up my time. But mostly it’s because of the nature of the news. And it’s not because we’re having a slow news cycle, but because the news is so overwhelming.

You know when you face some daunting task, like cleaning out the garage, you may open the door, survey the mess and simply close the door and walk away. You just don’t even know where to begin. The news has been like that lately. I just don’t know where to begin. So I close the door and walk away. But that doesn’t get us anywhere. We need to be vigilant. So it’s time to catch up.

There was a story about two weeks ago, that didn’t get a lot of notice. It was about how the Veteran’s Administration is over budget and behind schedule on multiple construction projects.

The Government Accountability Office released a report showing that many of the VA’s construction projects were years behind schedule and their cost overruns were at $1.5 billion. One example given was a medical center in Aurora, CO. The medical center was originally scheduled to be completed and opened in 2008 at a cost of $200 million. It’s still not done. The GAO report says it will be complete in 2015 at a cost of $800 million.

The contractor however, projects it will open in 2016 at a cost of $1 billion. The contractor blames the delays and costs on multiple changes the VA has requested to the original plan. I find no information about anyone being held accountable for any of this.

And that lack of accountability is what is so emblematic of Washington in general. For me, this story is like a microcosm of all that’s wrong with our federal government. The GAO, the Government Accountability Office, really isn’t holding anyone accountable. They simply do the math and supply the information.

The contractor is most likely correct, and the changes made by the VA are to blame.

The VA released a statement that says, “The Department has taken measures to implement recommendations from the Government Accountability Office through several initiatives to improve the scope, cost and schedule information of major construction projects.”

Hmmm, yeah, that ought to fix it.

Congress approves the money for all this and has real oversight authority. But it is clear that oversight was not exercised here. And to be fair, how can they know about something like this in time to put a stop to it? There are thousands of projects just like this going on at any given time. How would they ever keep an eye on all of them?

And that’s the point. Our tax dollars are being spent by federal bureaucrats who have no incentive to spend them wisely. There is no penalty for waste and corruption and no one is held responsible.

No one is watching them.

Only when a project goes bad enough to get some attention from the media, does anyone in Washington even raise an eyebrow. They are always reacting to bad news, never watching to prevent that bad news.

They can’t. It’s all just too big. Our federal government has grown into something it was never intended to be, something that no one can control, not even our elected leaders in Congress. It rolls along, devouring our tax dollars in a way that would never be tolerated in the private sector where people are made to answer for their mistakes and their employment is on the line.

As I said, this story didn’t get a lot of attention. It was around for a day or so, and then everyone moved on. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because we’ve become accustomed to being outraged by dollar amounts counted in trillions. Millions, even billions no longer get our attention.

Maybe it’s because we’ve grown so accustomed to corruption and out of control spending from the federal government that we’re just not surprised by a story like this one.

Like this:

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14 Responses

I have a minor, but representative, VA story of my own. A veteran bought my mother-in-law’s house. His contract called for 100% VA financing, which gave us reason to pause. The Realtors (both of them) told us that the VA appraisal should be done within 2 weeks, so we would know by then if the contract was valid. We figured two weeks off of the market wouldn’t be a major problem. Of course, not only was the appraisal value unknown after 2 weeks, the appraisal itself had not even been scheduled. We could have opted out at that point, but the offer was very close to asking price, and the buyers Realtor was very positive about her client and the belief the house would appraise as requested.

Three more weeks went by and there was no one who could speak for the VA, or the VA’s contractor financial institution about the status. The attitude was “this is the VA, what else would you expect? In the meantime, the buyer had his inspection, and termite inspection completed because they were also contract contingencies. Finally 6 weeks after the contract signing, the VA appraisal was completed, and supported the buyer’s contract contingency.

Last week, we received notice that another termite inspection would be required since VA rules state that a closing can not take place if the termite inspection has not been performed within 30 days. So this week someone will pay for another termite inspection, most probably, the VA. Think about it. The VA has a process which virtually guarantees that the first termite inspection, needed by the buyer early in the process, will not be within 30 days of the closing, requiring a re-inspection. Does anyone at the VA care? No. The VA has no sense of customer service, nor of an efficient, cost effective process. After, it’s a government agency, right? No one is accountable, and its just tax payer money.

Yep, I believe the contractor, but I’ll bet he said (sotto voce) for now, as well. Health care facilities have all sorts of code variations, they’re justified and expensive. Think about it, plumbing oxygen all over the place and high electrical usage, and not very mobile people-it’s a disaster film waiting to happen. Then ad to that a principal without accountability.

I’ll be surprised if the contractor isn’t praying his low ball estimate comes in. Changing a plan is always far more expensive than building the plan, and the closer to completion the more it becomes so.

It is sad that no one is held accountable in today’s world. I realized this myself during the Fast & Furious scandal. I felt that everyone complained, pretty loudly at that too, but no real course of action was taken in order to prevent the “loss” of weapons. But then you hear the other day that 2,000 radio’s have disappeared. How can you lose 2,000 radios?! I feel it’s a setup for another catastrophe.

Wherever you fall on the political spectrum, you have to admit, this is ridiculous! That money could be going to helping the country, but instead it’s just getting wasted, and no one in Congress does a thing because their parties and donors don’t care. Honestly, I wish they would remember the people sometimes and not their bank accounts when they went about their jobs.

Not just without limbs! Some of them have lost other body parts to IEDs, and several develop PTSD and other mental illnesses due to their experiences in war. They need the most help, but the VA is wasting money that should go to their charges! It makes me sick.

It’s simply a matter of media govt distraction / when americans in large numbers start to focus / when they engage the brain and begin to see
how bad the situaton is with political corruption as media brainwashing
the govt then hit them with news items of various distraction / they play
with the emotions in filling people with anger / or a sad story with tears.

Corrupt politicians & their wealthy backers used terrorism as a cover
in removing the people’s rights / where govt can now do as please as
kill or arrest any whom prove a threat to their complete rule /it having
been for americans a steady decline into a state of madness / where
democracy freedom gone where elections having been reduced to a
complete farce / politicians bought as sold / by the wealthy / where in
govt they but serve their financial backers / in becoming wealthier /at
expense of freedom democracy / people now treated as mere sheep
to fleece / cut to the very bone / children seen as lamb for slaughter.

The USA AT PRESENT IS AS the repeated fall of the Roman Empire
where the nations wealth spent on a military aim of world domination
as social structure of nation starved of funding / now facing collapse.

The final straw in breaking camels back / t’was banking fraud where
govt withdrew all banking regulations / thus allowing the rich making
vast profits / while the common people lost all they had leaving them
with only their begging bowl / be it bankers as politicians or wealthy
backers / none brought to trial they hold the wealth / power /control
as own the media thus spin out distraction / where the fault blamed
on others in main none existent terrorists / where reality USA govt’s
as their wealthy backers having become the worst gang of criminals
fraudsters that the world in having known ever in the history of time.

The news has become a means of govt distraction / thus the reality
of the situation does not become a clarity to the american people’s
in becoming a reality / then politicians would be brought to account.

Thanks for the article. You hit the nail on the head about size and accountability. On a daily basis it seems I come across articles proclaiming the expansion of government and it always seem the price tag is in the billion dollar range. Who else afford billion dollar structures and additions to buildings. No one but the feds.

I came across an article yesterday about the NSA building a super computer center in the middle of UTAH that will be hogging water (amount enough to provide water for a small town) in the middle of the desert. Sure they say they have it all planned out now…but what if the west coast runs into a drought and water becomes scarce as it did in Texas and in the Southeast no too long ago. Who suffers? The citizens of Utah or the computers owned by the Feds? Feds have never sacrificed. All this nonsense to cool super computers that are probably spying on us. I have the news story on my site: http://www.sodascreens.com/blog

US soldier Bradley manning given // sentenced to 35 yrs in prison
his accused crime …he revealed to the public appalling war crimes.
Rather than the praise he deserved / bringing the public attention
to appalling war crimes a USA govt charged him being the criminal
that the public not entitted knowing crimes of a USA govt & military.

Another individual Edward Snowden more fortunate he having fled
to Russia where compassionate Russian govt awarded sanctuary
Edward’s crime was to inform the american public that the US govt
was invading their internet privacy / govt using/ full free access to
telephone calls as internet mailing / a action that completely illegal.

Govt no longer servants of the people having become their master
democracy freedom has long gone the people stripped of all rights.

This is exactly why I do not watch, read or listen to the news. Your post was the closest I’ve got to hearing what’s – up in this crazy world for the past week.
I don’t miss the anxiety attacks!!
Great read, though.
Congrats on gettin’ PRESSED!!